The invention relates to a contact arrangement for air-blast switches, provided with a tubular contact piece and a contact piece axially associated therewith. Upon cut-off under load, an arc is drawn between the contact pieces and subjected to a blast of pressurized gas. The tubular contact piece comprises at its end face a nozzle body which has a nozzle aperture contour that expands conically from the end face. In its interior the contact piece comprises, in spaced relationship, a tubular element of ferromagnetic material whose inner wall surface is conical and continues the contour of the nozzle aperture.
The tubular element of ferromagnetic material improves the arcing properties and thereby increases the switching efficiency. It has now been found that considerable burn-off may occur on the ferromagnetic material, although the arc base points move quickly on this material.